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1. African bovid tribe classification using transfer learning and computer vision

   https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15067  

   Domínguez‐Rodrigo, Manuel; Brophy, Juliet; Mathews, Gregory J; Pizarro‐Monzo, Marcos; Baquedano, Enrique (December 2023, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences)

   Abstract Objective analytical identification methods are still a minority in the praxis of paleobiological sciences. Subjective interpretation of fossils and their modifications remains a nonreplicable expert endeavor. Identification of African bovids is a crucial element in the reconstruction of paleo‐landscapes, ungulate paleoecology, and, eventually, hominin adaptation and ecosystemic reconstruction. Recent analytical efforts drawing on Fourier functional analysis and discrimination methods applied to occlusal surfaces of teeth have provided a highly accurate framework to correctly classify African bovid tribes and taxa. Artificial intelligence tools, like computer vision, have also shown their potential to be objectively more accurate in the identification of taphonomic agency than human experts. For this reason, here we implement some of the most successful computer vision methods, using transfer learning and ensemble analysis, to classify bidimensional images of African bovid teeth and show that 92% of the large testing set of images of African bovid tribes analyzed could be correctly classified. This brings an objective tool to paleoecological interpretation, where bovid identification and paleoecological interpretation can be more confidently carried out. 

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2. A preliminary reconstruction of the paleocological context of Galili, Ethiopia using bovid dental metrics.

   Slotter, A.; Simpson, S. W. (January 2018, American journal of physical anthropology)

   Paleoanthropological and geological field research at Galili, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia was reinitiated in 2016. The site has been established as encompassing sediments ranging between 2.5-4.5± Ma and includes early Australopithecus and perhaps Ardipithecus. While preliminary paleoenvironmental analyses have suggested open woodland to bushland-woodland and shrubland, we present here additional evidence of the diet and functional anatomy of the Early Pliocene bovids from Galili. Fossil bovids have been recognized as a crucial tool in understanding ancient environments and serve as an important ecological indicator. Establishing the habitats of Galili is important for both understanding the environment in which the fauna, including hominins, resided and providing comparison to other contemporaneous sites. Taxonomic identification and metric analyses were performed on bovid teeth (n=93) from the 3.9-4.4 Ma Shabeley Laag and Dhidinley members to reconstruct the paleoenvironment. The sample was dominated by Reduncini, a riparian-associated tribe, and Tragelaphini, a browsing-associated tribe. Hypsodonty index was calculated for each tribe and results suggest the most abundant bovid taxa trend towards the brachydont category. Only three tribes: Alcelaphini, Antilopini, and Hippotragini fell within the mesodont category, and no tribes had hypsodont indices. Mesowear analysis of the sample indicated high occlusal relief and rounded cusp shapes were most common. Taken together, our results indicate a trend in bovid diet towards mixed feeding and browsing at Galili. 

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3. A preliminary reconstruction of the paleoecological context of Galili, Ethiopia using bovid dental metrics

   Slotter, A.; Simpson, S. W. (January 2018, American journal of physical anthropology)

   Paleoanthropological and geological field research at Galili, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia was reinitiated in 2016. The site has been established as encompassing sediments ranging between 2.5-4.5± Ma and includes early Australopithecus and perhaps Ardipithecus. While preliminary paleoenvironmental analyses have suggested open woodland to bushland-woodland and shrubland, we present here additional evidence of the diet and functional anatomy of the Early Pliocene bovids from Galili. Fossil bovids have been recognized as a crucial tool in understanding ancient environments and serve as an important ecological indicator. Establishing the habitats of Galili is important for both understanding the environment in which the fauna, including hominins, resided and providing comparison to other contemporaneous sites. Taxonomic identification and metric analyses were performed on bovid teeth (n=93) from the 3.9-4.4 Ma Shabeley Laag and Dhidinley members to reconstruct the paleoenvironment. The sample was dominated by Reduncini, a riparian-associated tribe, and Tragelaphini, a browsing-associated tribe. Hypsodonty index was calculated for each tribe and results suggest the most abundant bovid taxa trend towards the brachydont category. Only three tribes: Alcelaphini, Antilopini, and Hippotragini fell within the mesodont category, and no tribes had hypsodont indices. Mesowear analysis of the sample indicated high occlusal relief and rounded cusp shapes were most common. Taken together, our results indicate a trend in bovid diet towards mixed feeding and browsing at Galili. 

   more » « less
4. A preliminary reconstruction of the paleoecological context of Galili, Ethiopia using bovid dental metrics.

   Slotter, A.; Simpson, S.W. (April 2018, American journal of physical anthropology)

   Paleoanthropological and geological field research at Galili, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia was reinitiated in 2016. The site has been established as encompassing sediments ranging between 2.5-4.5± Ma and includes early Australopithecus and perhaps Ardipithecus . While preliminary paleoenvironmental analyses have suggested open woodland to bushland-wood - land and shrubland, we present here additional evidence of the diet and functional anatomy of the Early Pliocene bovids from Galili. Fossil bovids have been recognized as a crucial tool in understanding ancient environments and serve as an important ecological indicator. Establishing the habitats of Galili is important for both understanding the environment in which the fauna, including hominins, resided and providing comparison to other contemporaneous sites. Taxonomic identification and metric analyses were performed on bovid teeth (n=93) from the 3.9-4.4 Ma Shabeley Laag and Dhidinley members to reconstruct the paleoenvironment. The sample was dominated by Reduncini, a riparian-associated tribe, and Tragelaphini, a browsing-associated tribe. Hypsodonty index was calculated for each tribe and results suggest the most abundant bovid taxa trend towards the brachydont category. Only three tribes: Alcelaphini, Antilopini, and Hippotragini fell within the mesodont category, and no tribes had hypso - dont indices. Mesowear analysis of the sample indicated high occlusal relief and rounded cusp shapes were most common. Taken together, our results indicate a trend in bovid diet towards mixed feeding and browsing at Galili. We thank Prof. H Seidler and his team for allowing access to the fossils they collected. 

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5. Quantifying occlusal wear in extant and fossil primates: A novel approach using the virtual goniometer for wear and dietary analysis

   Lama-Luther, R; O'Neill, R (March 2025, American Journal of Biological Anthropology)

   Turner, T (Ed.)

   Advancements in 3D scanning and modeling have transformed dental and dietary analyses, yet studies often focus on whole-crown, unworn teeth, limiting sample sizes and scope due to the challenges of analyzing worn teeth. Here we explore a novel quantitative method using a virtual goniometer to measure occlusal wear angles in over 150 worn mandibular second molars from extant primates, including frugivores, folivores, and hard-object consumers. For the first time, we apply this method to fossil primates: Ekembo, Dendropithecus, and Limnopithecus. Using the Hecate software package, we align and subdivide molars into five patches corre- sponding to the cusps. We segment each patch using the virtual goniometer. This segments the occlusal surface from the corresponding buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal surfaces, providing a normal vector corresponding to the plane of best fit for each segment. We then calculate three key angles that describe the plane orientation. Results suggest the inclination measurement from the virtual goniometer is more robust than the average inclination of points in the occlusal surface. Additionally, we find that, among the fossil sample, wear across cusps does not align with any of the tested extant dietary categories. Paleontology is a versatile field of study, applying methods used across disciplines. Our novel approach provides yet another example in which paleontology makes use of versatile computer application by extending the virtual goniometer’s utility beyond archaeological inquiries to primate dental analysis. Additionally, this application offers valuable insight into evolutionary traits associated with dietary behaviors through the inclusion of extant and fossil primates. 

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